Discovery Suites Staycation

It’s really a treat when we can arrange for a staycation for the whole family.

It’s made even more special when it’s because of a certain “holiday” that allows me to take the day off.

As every other Momma knows who has children, we do not get days off. We do not get to call out sick when we are having a bad day, or even when we are running a temperature of 102.

Thanks Babe. You made this Momma very happy. This is my 15th Mother’s Day. It just keeps getting better every year!

This is why when we have a staycation planned for Mother’s Day weekend, it’s truly a big break for this Momma. I know that I won’t have to worry too much about anything. I can enjoy the time spent with my family, and my better half. I won’t worry about the mess that Gelli makes, because if we are in a hotel, it’s just the toys that she can fit in her little suitcase that she will bring out, and because it’s a hotel, there is minimal damage she can do.

Not only do I NOT have to cook dinner…but I can enjoy steak from 22 Prime like this!

I won’t worry about cooking up something good for dinner because we can just go upstairs and take advantage of one of the better steak places in Manila which is located on the 22nd floor of Discovery Suites.

I won’t worry about entertaining the kids for this particular staycation because I know that when I stay in a Discovery property, they have everything figured out for Moms and Dads like me and Nino who like to keep the kids entertained without too much fuss.

AND…I won’t worry about fixing breakfast in the morning because usually there is a healthy breakfast buffet that we can take advantage of.

I like watching my kids attack the breakfast buffet. You really can see the differences in the personalities and their preferences even by the food they indulge in.

Mother’s Day weekend this year was much the opposite of Father’s Day weekend for our family. I had so many activities and places that I wanted to be, so we were jam packed with lots of things to do. This was in stark contrast to the weekend that Nino requested. He wanted to make sure that he had time to rest, to stay home, to enjoy the kids, and cook up some goodness in our own kitchen.

Both of these weekends are equally nice. In fact, I really did enjoy being home and creating a menu fit for my king for his big day. But I also enjoy going out, and taking advantage of the full hotel experience, like sleeping in. (OMG. I really slept in!)

Truth be told, I didn’t even get to do all of the things I wanted to do on Mother’s Day weekend. I had a ton more places I wanted to visit and see, but I had to listen to baby girl…because when she starts doing the back stroke on the floor in the middle of the mall, I would say it’s time to call it a day.

And so instead of going to all those other places that I wanted to check out, we checked IN to Discovery Suites.

The lines were really long for checking in, so we were ushered right to our three bedroom suite like rockstars. I always appreciate the stellar treatment of the Discovery Group…it’s like they saw the toddler tornado coming in and they knew she would be swimming on the floor soon, so to eliminate any unnecessary stress we completed the check in process upstairs in the comfort of our living room in the suite.

This is a huge help when you are trying to keep a toddler at bay, a 9 year old from complaining, and a 13 year old in check. I’m not sure why my 9 year old always complains…I think he just doesn’t know how great he has it?

Can I just tell you as soon as we got to the room how much the kids were running around? They were so excited to have such a big place to play in. The surprise three bedroom suite had a kitchen and dining area where could cook and enjoy our own meals if were so inclined. The boys had the same set up as they do at home with two twin beds sharing, and Ate and Gellibean had a queen sized bedroom which was connected to their brothers’ room by way of a shared bathroom.

Shortly after we settled into the suite, we were greeted by the pillow concierge. Here is Diego choosing his preferred pillow.

Truth: We normally co-sleep. So everyone having their own room to sleep in, was already a treat for this co-sleeping momma.

I love how they explain which pillow would best fit your needs.

After we were all checked in and relaxed, I called Nino to find out how Gia’s game was going. Because we all had to be in different places at the same time, I knew the next time we would see each other would be for a special dinner at 22 Prime.

I think Diego found a pillow that fit him perfectly because he ended up taking a short cat nap.

What I didn’t know, was that my friend Jane was able to coax the kids (and Nino) into putting something together really special for me when she took them off my hands after we checked in. I knew they were up to something when they went off for a few hours, but to be honest I was enjoying the time by myself with Gellibean. I watched her play. I sat on the sofa with my feet up, and I disconnected from social media.

It’s not often that I do that. I feel like once I started blogging and becoming more active on social media that I have to consciously make the effort to disconnect. I have to remind myself to put the phone down and pay attention to what’s going on around me. To live in the moment and just be still. Having my smart phone with me all the time is such a temptation, but since I was bushed…and I knew Gelli was bushed…I just sat and watched her play. I did pick my phone up to snap some photos though 🙂

Traditionally, Discovery Suites is more of the business traveler’s hotel. Because it is located right in the heart of Ortigas Center, it’s easy to see why many would choose this hotel as their home for an extended stay while in Manila for business. What I realized while we were staying there, is that this property is just as family friendly as all of the other Discovery Leisure Group properties that we are familiar with and have stayed in before.

We have always loved Discovery Shores in Boracay and we have stayed there more than a handful of times. I love the warm welcome when I arrive. It’s as if everyone, is really happy to greet us on arrival and of course that same treatment remains through out the course of our stay. I was equally pleased to see that it’s the same here in Discovery Suites as well.

Of the three properties that we have visited as a family, Discovery Suites is of course much closer to us than all the others. While Misibis Bay offers outdoor activities and a beautiful view of Mount Mayon, and Disovery Shores offers the white sand beaches of Boracay, Discovery Suites offers us a location completely central to city living. You can explore the city and the local establishments that are just a stone’s throw from the hotel or choose to stay in and enjoy the luxurious accommodations that all the Discovery properties are known for.

We were not only welcomed like a family who was coming home, we also enjoyed our stay because it was filled with moments we (most especially me) would not soon forget. From the relaxing afternoon spent laying on the sofa in our suite, the elegant dinner in 22 Prime, the pillowy soft bed with black out curtains to allow for a restful night’s sleep, and the hand written notes from my kids reminding me all of the good that comes from my motherhood, we truly had a great weekend bonding with the kids under the Discovery roof.